Band 7+: Write about the following topic: ‘It is important for foreigners to know something about the history and culture of the country they live in.’ Discuss. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should write at least 250 words.

It is essential for an outsider to not only familiarize themselves with the past of the country but also their culture. This essay will explore reasons for that with illustrations from my our experience.

When I planned to move to Canada a few years back, the first thing I did was, to read about the country and its history. I was amazed when I realized that it was part of British Empire, which was also the case with my home country India. This increased my interest in the country, and I was excited to read that both countries used British English. Furthermore, the unit of measurements in Canada were, kilometers for distance, and degree celsius for temperature. These aspects were critical for a civil engineer like me and they helped me integrate easily into my new job.

The other significant aspect for learning about a new country is to understand their culture. Canada is a cold country and the temperatures are extreme between January to March. While this looks annoying for a person like me who has emigrated from warmer climates, the locals have their own set of customs which they follow to help them better adapt to the environment. One such traditions was that people of Youkon prepared a snack of fish by adding a little salt and freezing the fresh catch for some time before savouring it. It is a kind of delicacy enjoyed by them and the fish keep their body warm during winters. If we look at cities like Toronto, people engage in skiing and snow-boarding activities to spend their leisure time during winters. These learnings helped me and my family better understand their culture and we could easily integrate into the new place.

In conclusion, it is important for immigrants to know about the history and traditions of a country they reside in as it helps them understand their practices which are designed to better cope with the environment. Additionally, from an economic immigration perspective, history helps us understand how the language of the new country evolved as seen in my case which made me confident while applying for jobs in Canada.